Carry On Or Give Up
by KT-ExReplica
Summary: When everything is falling apart, it's natural human instinct to run away. To run away from everything. To run away and meet your end. Sasunaru. Rape- explicit.


Just past shoulder length, lank blond hair. Jaded grey blue eyes. Pale rough skin. Faded whisker marks. Uzumaki Naruto cast a dreary look out of his apartment window; the air of unkemptness around him and his living quarters was quite palpable. He gave long drawn out sigh, he couldn't cry anymore, and he had vowed he would no more. He wasn't going to carry on…

The air seemed thick with the lack of emotion and the silence, Naruto stared lifelessly out of his window again. The dull grey of the slowly darkening sky mirrored his irises. A knock on the door. He did not stir from his position from the floor. He wasn't going to carry on…

'Naruto, please come outside just this once!' Sakura pleaded as she placed her hand on his shoulder. He wasn't going to carry on…

'Sakura. He won't, leave him alone; he will come out when he's ready. Can't you see he's given up?'

Neji murmured and gently pried Sakura off the blonde and led her out of the apartment where Kiba and Sai waited anxiously. He wasn't going to carry on…

Naruto still did not move when Kiba hammered on the door and merely sighed heavily. He wasn't going to carry on…

His eyes flooded red and the faint whisker marks darkened. He merely dispelled it by flicking his head, as if it were an irksome fly. He wasn't going to carry on…

'Leave me alone Kyuubi.'

'**What? Giving up already? Not like you is it?'**

Naruto shut his mind off to the demon and looked down at the wooden floor. He had given up, he wasn't coming back, and it was hopeless to imagine why that bastard would ever come back, not after he had ripped his soul from his being. Naruto grinned suddenly. The expression, after had not been used for so long was a horrible ghost of sadism, maniacal and cruel and was nothing like the foolish smiles he used to make. The very look just cracked his whole face making him look deranged and demented. He wasn't going to carry on…

The blonde picked up a random discarded shirt from the ground and looked at the torn bloodied cloth. He realised with a jolt as his near dead consciousness confirmed that it was the torn shirt of the white robe Sasuke had worn last time they had met. The time when Naruto broke, the time when Sasuke had left him for good. Taking the very fire that fuelled the blonde's will to return with the Uchiha. He looked at the gaping holes in the back of the shirt and the tattered hole that was supposed to have been a blood crusted sleeve, before like Naruto's soul had been torn brutally away into nothingness. He wasn't going to carry on…

He pulled off his own black and pulled the ragged item over his torso. He stared unseeing into the mirror at his reflection. All he saw there was his own face, pale and tired. Then the image changed. His reflection morphed into Sasuke's cold emotionless face, blood ran down the side of his left temple and there was a thin cut on his hollowed pale cheek, the long jet black bangs fell wild and untamed framing the stoic pale mask, the shabby white shirt rippled slightly. Naruto stared at the reflection trembling as he stared into the face he hated so much. He snapped once more. He wasn't going to carry on…

Few minutes later Naruto was sitting on the floor in his previous position, but this time ignoring the hot dark stickiness that clung to his hand and the same substance that dripped from his damaged left eye, the sharp glittering shards of mirror reflecting the dismal light around the room. Blood dripped to the floor hissing as it touched the cold wood. Naruto stood clutching the headband. The headband which had a deep gouge through its symbol. He took off his own headband and tied the marked over his eye, protecting it as it bled. He wasn't going to carry on…

He picked up his black hitai ate, the First's necklace, his kunai pouch, but strapped on his shuriken holster and left his apartment, not bothering to close the door behind him. The wind played through the open window and the out the door, rustling the grey patched curtains; it did not seem lonelier than it ever had been. The door creaked as it swayed to the wind. Naruto did not give it a second glance. He wasn't going to carry on…

The blonde walked stiff backed the blood from his wounded left eye dripped down his cheek, and passed Hinata, Chouji and Shikamaru without even acknowledging them. The moon had started to come out and was casting soft silvery glows on every surface.

'N-naruto- k-kun…'

Hinata placed her hand tentatively on his shoulder. Naruto shrugged it off and stared at her blankly as if he had never known she was there. Hinata shivered at the empty gaze, feeling as if those grey dull eyes were x raying her she lifted her hand and looked away, silver tears pouring silently down her face. Shikamaru and Chouji dipped their heads and walked off with Hinata, who cast a grief stricken expression back. Naruto continued his solitary walk and entered Hokage tower. He wasn't going to carry on…

Entering Tsunade's semi dark office he placed his hitai ate, the necklace and his kunai pouch. He took out a kunai from his pocket and pricked his wrist, blood beaded at the wound before it began flowing freshly onto the open blank scroll that lay there. Using his thumb he wrote his name in his blood on the scroll before using the same kunai he ran his chakra around it enhancing the tip and pierced the necklace of the First straight through the metal in a clean stab and through the wooden desk. Blood from his eye dripped from the damp material on Sasuke's hitai ate and it splashed on his own. He swept from the room, the white of the Uchiha's ripped shirt fluttered around the doorway and disappeared. He wasn't going to carry on…

Naruto walked uninterrupted to the gates of Konohagakure where he was met by Kakashi. Naruto stared coldly at his Sensei but did not say anything and walked past. He wasn't going to carry on…

'Naruto. Don't do this.'

Naruto stared hard again at his Sensei as if seeing him for the first time, his only good eye narrowed cruelly. He wasn't going to carry on…

'What?'

He asked with cold indifference as he gazed vacantly at Kakashi in the eye, he was taller than his Sensei now. But that barely was relevant and wasn't important. He wasn't going to carry on…

'Don't do this Naruto.'

'I can do what I want. Kakashi. Let go of my arm.'

Kakashi's good eye, the hatred in Naruto's pale was mirrored by Kakashi's sorrow. He let his hand tighten on his student's arm. Naruto shrugged him off and continued to walk. He wasn't going to carry on…

'I don't want to cause bloodshed over nothing. Kakashi. Let me go, it is pointless to try and stop me.'

Kakashi's lips thinned at these words and wordlessly took out a kunai, taking in the white shirt with the Uchiha crest on the back and the hitai ate. Naruto turned and faced Kakashi, his expression set into an ugly leer, the dried blood on his left temple and cheek cracked slightly. Kakashi fingered the kunai, but Naruto was behind him and was pressing Kakashi's right hand which held the kunai sharp and lethal to the older man's throat. Kakashi struggled slightly but then froze as the tip scratched the surface of his neck. Naruto closed his eye in a bored fashion, but his iron like grip on the silver nin's hand did not waver. He wasn't going to carry on…

'I don't want to wound Konoha's most prestigious jounin. Go back into Konoha and let me leave without harming you.'

Kakashi narrowed his eye and switched their positions quickly, so that he was behind Naruto with the kunai at his throat. Naruto chuckled, the corners of his mouth twitching in a useless effort at the mirthless sound. He wasn't going to carry on…

'Naruto, listen to me, if you leave not only will all the villages be at stake, but Sasuke isn't coming back,'

'This isn't about Sasuke. Why should it ever be about Sasuke? This isn't for his or your benefit, its mine. I have nothing left to find or seek in Konoha or in the Uchiha. I have no desire to do so either. I will merely melt away from this world and become nothing, a mere shadow and I will become that shadow, and my memory will slowly fade from your minds forever. I will be nothing.'

Naruto's visible eye glowed eerily. He wasn't going to carry on…

Kakashi flinched as if he had been slapped hard and viciously around the face; Naruto took this as an opening and once more switched their position. He pressed the tip of the weapon into Kakashi's jugular vein, feeling the pulse race through the cool metal. His damaged features contorted into a feral smirk, and plunged the blade into the dark blue clothed neck; the fingers of his other hand covered the masked face of his Sensei, preventing any noise from escaping. Dark liquid seeped through the cloth and stained it darker in the moonlight. He allowed the silver haired ninja's body drop to the hard earth packed ground with a soft thud. Naruto gave a wry smile that was full of malice. He wasn't going to carry on…

He travelled through the stillness of the thick blackness of the night, his only light were the moon and stars at twinkled and mocked him innocently with their pretty glow. Naruto looked like a pale ghost, the white of the Uchiha's shirt fluttered out behind him, too large for his thin slender frame, his long hair glowed silver white in the dim moon shining through the trees. One would think from far away that the blonde was a beautiful ethereal spirit, despite the shining red blood, that adorned the pale slender neck and thin shoulder that was being shown off where there should be a sleeve. The blood dark and scarlet was like a second piece of cloth on Naruto as it shifted with his muscles as he almost 'floated' through the shadowy knotted trees. He wasn't going to carry on…

Naruto entered the fourth village that day, still stiff and taut as he moved through the villagers who seemed to sense his mean aura and quickly moved out of his way, as he towered over them, but not noticing them. He passed in a bar, lifting up the hangings so violently he almost tore them down, he sat down ordering a bottle of sáke. He was on his 5th bottle and still was in his right mind. He wasn't going to carry on…

'Dobe.'

Naruto turned automatically at the sound, his eye narrowed once more, but this time into thin slits that radiated if possible the most amount of hatred ever in his entire life. He glared at Sasuke, Akatsuki cloak and all, before he downed his 6th. He wasn't going to carry on…

'What do you want?'

'What are you doing here Dobe?'

'That is none of your business. You ungrateful, arrogant shit.'

Naruto's unharmed eye bore cold fury and a horrible icy feeling pierced the Uchiha's chest as the words struck him. Naruto picked up the small cup and swallowed the fiery liquid inside. He wasn't going to carry on…

'What I should be asking is what are YOU doing here?'

'I'm here because I've finished.'

'Finished what?' Naruto spat out viciously, the alcohol working its way into his system finally. He wasn't going to carry on…

'Everything. Why are you wearing my old clothes? Naruto?' Sasuke looked the blonde up and down in his old hitai ate, the blood, his clothes, the dark rings under the visible eye.

'Don't kid around with me Uchiha, it's not like I wanted to wear your shit it's the only fucked up thing in my fucked up apartment that was actually wearable! And I don't ever want to see your shitty arrogant face, ever again!'

Naruto snapped back, his pale blue eye glaring cruelly into Sasuke's face. This was not entirely true as Naruto hadn't known himself why he had adorned the old clothing of the traitor. Sasuke raised a slender eyebrow at this and watched with a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach as he watched the blonde finished his, what looked like his 9th bottle, but more littered the counter. Naruto still glaring at Sasuke stood up and walked amazingly normal for someone who had just had around 15 bottles of sáke or more, people moved quickly out of Naruto's way as he thrust his way through them. Naruto strode out of the village, cursing the whole time. He wasn't going to carry on…

Sasuke sighed, and ran pale hand through his raven hair and stood up, following the blonde. No matter how drunk or angry Naruto was at Sasuke it wouldn't stop him from following the blonde. But the look of the utmost contempt Naruto had shot at him had nearly stopped his heart. Naruto slumped against a tree trunk, relishing in the rough bark on his back. He wasn't going to carry on…

He looked up his mind all foggy and dull as he made out a shape moving towards him, a voice reached his ears. He snarled at the figure, noticing the chakra signature was Sasuke's.

'Fuck off bastard, why are you fucking follo-!?'

Naruto was cut off by a pair of lips crushing his, as he was forcefully pushed up against the base of the tree. Whether it was out of anger or frustration Naruto growled half moaned into the kiss as the pale lips moved against his, nipping on his lower lip, Naruto gasped as a hot tongue slid inside his mouth, probing around, he tried to buck the former avenger off but received his tongue being painfully bitten, he tasted his own blood in his mouth he glared at Sasuke through his one good eye clouded over by loathing and lust.

The hot lips left him and cold sharp metal break the surface of his skin on the palms of his hands and they were pinned into the tree trunk blood seeping down to join that of the tree sap. Naruto whimpered in pain, but was instantly replaced by a loud moan as the pair of lips attached to his throat, licking a sucking. A harsh groan was dragged out as blood welled from a bite mark on the once tanned throat. Sasuke licked his lips.

Naruto was too overwhelmed by his senses of being drunk, exhausted and pissed off, but even his own mind was screaming clearly that this was rape. He growled as his clothes were torn off and tried to bite Sasuke as a pale finger wiped the blood off his lower lip. He paid dearly for it and the hitai ate that was once covering his eye was forced into his mouth as a metal gag, but with a shuriken cleverly embedded into the thick cloth so if he were to bite down he would tear his mouth apart. It was brutally sick; Naruto writhed under the Uchiha as a kunai trailed up his half erect cock, teasing it, he tried not to bite down, feeling the cold metallic taste of the shuriken.

Naruto squeezed his good eye shut and tensed his body as the teasing kunai probed around his body setting everywhere it touched on fire. He made no sound as it traced the swirl tattoo on his navel, nor when it cut deeply into his shoulder, however he made a muffled yell as that sinful talented hot tongue lapped up the blood at flowed from it. It was totally barbaric and Naruto willed himself not to think about what was going to happen next.

'Do. Not. Move. Or. You. Will. Regret. It.'

That simple sentence of 8 words was whispered huskily and menacingly into his ear and Naruto shivered, as he allowed Sasuke to throw his thin legs over his shoulders, he did not move, he hadn't submitted yet, but neither was he trying to escape. His senses screamed and his clouded mind forced him to open his eye at the sharp, cold tip of the kunai as it slid in his entrance. Sasuke chuckled as Naruto let out a squeak and bit down. The agony lanced through Naruto like none before as he tore his upper lip to shreds, fierce hot knives of pain slicing him apart, a single pearly tear gathered at the corner of his eye, but he willed it not to escape. He wasn't going to carry on…

Sasuke uttered a low harsh chuckle at the muffled scream that erupted from Naruto and watched as blood seeped through the broken hitai ate, and dripped down the blonde's chin. Naruto opened his good eye and stared malevolently at Sasuke who returned the glare with one of cruel sadistic pleasure. Naruto's eyes widened and he tried once more to escape, pain, forgotten pain speared through his veins as he remembered his hands were pinned by kunai to the tree behind. He wasn't going to carry on…

'Very well… Your punishment.'

Naruto heard more danger in the silkiness of Sasuke's voice than in the most dangerous jutsu, he glared purely out of cheek and detest at the raven. Sasuke returned the look with equal ferocity, and the kunai tip that had been probing around his entrance was thrust up to the hilt inside the blonde, blood spurted from the wound, and Sasuke pulled out the kunai and more blood gushed forth as he forced it back inside the tight hole at a different angle. Naruto screamed, the complete agony, he felt like what they always said when having dry sex, it felt like he was being torn apart although he had the added bonus of being ripped into ribbons, Naruto opened his mouth in a silent scream, no sound could ever voice the pain he was going through now lest the bats hear it. He wasn't going to carry on…

Naruto gasped again as the kunai was plunged ruthlessly inside him. Tears broke out from under his eyelid, and Naruto allowed himself to cry when he had vowed he would never. Sasuke noticed these and cupped the blonde's face gently in his free hand. Naruto panting harshly glared up at the Uchiha and then slumped back exhausted his eye still pale and unnerving bore into Sasuke. He wasn't going to carry on…

'I still haven't finished with you, Naruto.'

Sasuke removed the sharp gag and discarded it, his mouth turned up into that same cruel smirk he wore the first time when he was at the Valley of End. Leaning forwards Sasuke licked some of the congealed blood off the blonde's chin, and then made a self satisfactory noise as he felt Naruto shudder beneath him. Sasuke fisted Naruto's hard erection, squeezing it and pumping it, smirking as Naruto moaned once more. Sasuke aligned his own painfully hard arousal at Naruto's damaged and raw entrance and thrust in until he sank up to the hilt. The raven being much bigger and thicker than the kunai was the end for Naruto, the sound that erupted from his throat was terrible. He wasn't going to carry on…

'Stop! Stop! Please!'

Naruto cried out through his mangled lips and he let out another piercing shriek as Sasuke hit his prostate. Sasuke laughed, unsympathetic as he picked up the speed. Naruto screamed again, thrusting his hips and chest out as he tried to break out of his bonds; however the grip Sasuke had on his hips was like a vice. Sasuke leant forward and bit Naruto on the neck again, tasting sweat and the salty sweet copper substance and it flowed. Naruto shrieked once more and Sasuke tired, held up a barbed kunai. Naruto's eye widened. He wasn't going to carry on…

'No! NO! Stop it!'

Sasuke just merely gave him a pitying sadistic look and stabbed the weapon through Naruto's throat and ripped out nearly half of his neck as flesh dangled from the ridged and barbed, blood bubbled from the horrible wound, bright red against the ashy grey of Naruto's skin and the pale cream of Sasuke's. Naruto let out a bubbling choking cry as the flow slowed as Kyuubi healed the worst but left a slightly bleeding gaping hole in where the skin could not be regenerated. He wasn't going to carry on…

'You are much prettier when you are silent.'

Sasuke commented and punctuated each word with a deliberate thrust, relishing in the low cries of pain. He then pulled out and smirked at the sigh of relief that fell from Naruto's lips. Sasuke pushed the blonde up against the tree and penetrated him once more this time at a faster and harder speed. Naruto squeezed his eye shut he could no longer pronounce let alone say anything and let low cries of distress fall from his wounded lips. He wasn't going to carry on…

'I h-hate you…'

Sasuke chuckled, and thrust in harder making the blonde whimper slightly, yet the words Naruto had managed to force out of him stabbed another shard of ice into Sasuke's heart. He moaned as the tight heat around his cock seemed to get if possible more suffocating, he groaned in pleasure as he felt himself edging near completion. His other hand palmed Naruto's erection, watching it twitch under his ministrations. Naruto tried again to escape but was slammed back harshly feeling his back cut open on the rough bark that had rubbed it raw, he felt hot liquid trickle down his back.

'I-i hat-t-te y-you! Y-you b-broke m-me t-twic-'

Sasuke then groaned as he released into Naruto, blood and cum mixed together, Naruto forced out a hoarse cry as he too came whether he liked it or not, he still aimed his fury and utmost dislike at the raven, before he passed out in a mixture of semen, blood and tears. Sasuke stood up and pulled his own clothes back on, he regarded the pitiful blonde on the ground before picking up his kanata, he ran it through Naruto's chest, and ripped out his heart, but replaced the dripping red organ in it's place, Naruto's soul. He wasn't going to carry on.

Sasuke pocketed the dripping muscle and left the shining soul shimmering in the hollow of the blonde's chest. It started to rain hard. He wasn't going to carry on no more…

Prologue

Tsunade covered the body with a sigh, she wouldn't believe it. Uzumaki Naruto had left the village and killed Hatake Kakashi. She sighed once more, Iruka, Sakura, Sai, Yamato and many others who had know Kakashi were there until, Genma and Raidou burst through the ranks both covered in blood and their eyes wild.

'Tsunade sama! Uchiha san! Uchiha san is at the gates and is asking for you! We left Kotetsu with him, but he attacked us!'

Genma's eyes rolled up into his head and he fainted, Sakura ran forwards with Ino and caught him.

'All of you stay here, Sakura, Yamato, and Sai. Come, lead us to him Raidou.'

Sasuke stood covered in blood, the torn fabric of his old white shirt clutched in his hand, his Kanata lay forgotten in the mud. He turned at the sound of squelching footsteps, his face broke in an evil leer, the one Orochimaru used to make.

'So you came Tsunade,'

He purred his onyx eyes glinting in the half light. Tsunade halted and walked forwards and grabbed the front of Sasuke's robes.

'Where is Naruto!?'

She gritted out, spittle hit the pale cheek. Tsunade flung Sasuke away from her in disgust. Sasuke stood and smirked,

'You want Naruto back? I'm sorry but all I can give you is his heart. Which. He. Willingly. Gave. To. Me.'

Sasuke had picked up his Kanata and had like before punctuated each word with every stab as he thrust in back into the ground, scarring it. Sakura stared horrified at the black and red cloak; Sai said nothing as Yamato whispered something in the Hokage's ear.

'You lie brat, where did you put Naruto! Where did you take him!? Not to the Akatsuki!'

Tsunade roared at the Uchiha who stood there calmly and he walked forwards, pressing the blood soaked white cloth into her hands.

'If you think I am lying, I give you Naruto's heart freely and willingly like he did to me. He opened his heart to me, I took it, but I am not as heartless as Orochimaru. I gave him back his soul.'

Sasuke stepped back his cold expression regarding that of the furious on Tsunade's. With shaking hands Tsunade opened the sodden rag and inside she had t stop herself from crying out, pulsating slightly was Naruto's heart, she knew this instantly as the chakra signature around it was unmistakable.

'How did you do this!?'

She demanded angrily to Sasuke who merely look back at her blankly.

'You have become the younger, sicker and even more terrible version of Orochimaru!'

She snarled as she passed the cloth to Sakura who wrapped it up clutching the organ to her chest. Sasuke's dreadful leer became mocking as he lifted a pale hand and tore part of his face off, a single golden slitted eye marked with purple stared back. Tsunade gasped and stepped back, Sakura screamed, Yamato's face hardened and Sai glared.

'You are wrong Tsunade. I am Orochimaru, Uchiha Sasuke is me, and I gave Uchiha Sasuke's soul to Naruto, and I sold the Kyuubi to the Akatsuki. Sasuke was weak when I overpowered him. You thought all this time ever since you though you met Sasuke for the first time in 2.5 years that it was him? No it was me. You all though wrong. Naruto realised this before any of you that is why he gave up! That is why he hated me when I raped him in Sasuke's form!'

Orochimaru hissed. Tsunade looked repulsed and Sakura lunged forwards, having given the still beating heart to Sai, the pink haired Kunochi tackled Orochimaru and began punching every single inch of flesh she could touch.

'You. Did. What!?'

She shrieked as she concentrated chakra through her fist to deal the finishing blow. She stopped suddenly as a soft silver glow came out of the trees; she did not slacken her choke hold on Orochimaru one bit. However everyone had turned to the source of the light.

'Let him go Sakura, let him go…'

Sakura gasped, Naruto was standing there a silvery light emitting from his entire being as he 'floated' over to her, his hand was warm and alive when it grasped her wrist, even though he was translucent like a ghost. Slackening her grip Sakura backed off and away from Orochimaru and what seemed like Naruto. Naruto stared at her with his one good eye in sorrow.

'Sakura, you cannot help me, I am now a spirit, a fox spirit. Just before Sasuke's soul was given to me, I realised that I was looking in all the wrong places for him. I realised that Sasuke had been inside me all along, he had been there when I most needed him, and I never realised it.'

Naruto placed a pale hand over where there should be his heart but instead was a shining orb. He had promised he would carry on no more…

'N-naruto?!'

Sakura stammered her green eyes widening as she stared from Orochimaru to Naruto, she gasped as Naruto lifted his head up to show a ragged gaping hole of where the front of his throat should be. Sai looked away and Sakura let out a horrified squeak. Tsunade clenched her fists and spat at Orochimaru.

'I'll kill you!'

Tsunade snarled her hazel coloured eyes darkening in rage as she stormed over to Orochimaru. Naruto however got there first. He placed a hand out in front of Tsunade halting her stride.

'Tsunade baa chan. Allow me.'

He turned to Orochimaru who was still sitting on the floor from where Sakura had left him. He helped Orochimaru to his feet and then stared him in the eye, like he had with Kakashi. He wasn't going to carry on…

'Orochimaru, how did you feel when you took over Sasuke's body? How did it feel?'

The pale blue eyes burned into Orochimaru as he stared wordlessly back. Naruto shook him slightly. Orochimaru said nothing. Naruto took a step back waiting. Finally Orochimaru opened his mouth.

'I felt power… Unimaginable power… I felt as if I could do anything. But I felt remorse.'

The figure of Sasuke murmured bitterly.

'Remorse because you knew you had severed the bond between Sasuke and me? You knew that I had given all my heart out to Sasuke to get him back to Konoha after he had beaten me at the Valley of End? And when you overpowered him, he asked you to find me for him didn't he? He told you to find me and to give me back my soul.'

Tsunade looked at Naruto in shock; Naruto gazed calmly down at Orochimaru who slowly nodded. Naruto smiled.

'Then you can reverse that Orochimaru, you can reverse it, if you have enough heart. Do you know how much Sasuke meant to me? Do you know what I meant to him? I was barely conscious when we came out of the aftermath of our battle, it began to rain. The rain fell down and Sasuke fell to his knees. I knew then that I was something in Sasuke's eyes; he became part of me when his lips touched mine, he never knew. I fell unconscious just when Sasuke placed his headband into my limp hand. After that we shared a very special bond, one would not be broken. I knew that he was gone a few days after I thought I had seen him.'

Naruto still smiling calmly reached out to touch Orochimaru on the shoulder, who backed away looking fearful. Sai was still looking down at the red muscle which was Naruto's heart in confusion. Sakura was frantically talking to Yamato who had drawn a kunai, but Tsunade ordered them to be quiet.

'You have been eaten up on the inside Orochimaru, you never took Sasuke's body nor did you take him properly. He was always inside me, he and I are one being, and you were too late. The Sasuke that you overtook was the shell of him, empty. Devoid of any emotions towards you or anyone else. That's because he became me and I became him. So in the end I never really stopped trying, because I realised I had finally brought Sasuke back to Konoha.'

Orochimaru stared at Naruto fearful of what the blonde might do next. Naruto stepped forwards once more and held Orochimaru at arm's length.

'I think that Sasuke will be having his body back.' Orochimaru, realising what was happeneing stepped back.

'Orochimaru, do not shy away, you knew from the moment you took Sasuke that this would happen one day. You knew, so do not let Sasuke take himself back by force. If he does he will never be the same.'

Naruto gazed solemnly at the horror-struck face of the man, and then closed his eyes.

What happened next was so blinding that Tsunade, Sai, Raidou, Kotetsu, Sakura and Yamato had to close their eyes shielding from the blinding light. Then it vanished, Naruto stood there no longer glowing, but a faint outline of himself that grew stronger, until he was once more a ghost of his living self. Next to him a shape crumpled on the ground.

'Sasuke, wake up. It's over. You can wake up.'

Naruto knelt down beside the huddled figure which slowly uncurled. Sasuke sat up, and stared at Naruto.

'Where am I? Who are you?'

He asked with complete indifference, Naruto gave a choked cry, and hugged Sasuke. He smiled up at Tsunade who looked utterly bewildered.

'He had to take himself back by force! He had to! But I don't care if he's lost his memory! It's the best thing that could possibly happen to him! If he forgets he will never know anything about his past or me.'

Naruto explained excitedly to Tsunade but tears were falling down from his good eye.

'It's the best thing for him…'

He repeated softly looking at the raven who was examining his own Kanata with the look of utmost interest.

Few days later people were getting used to Sasuke's return but they still couldn't believe that it was the same man. What surprised them the most was Naruto, a spirit yes, but he had a more solid form now and the gaping hole in this throat and his eye had healed up. He was a spirit but looked solid and nonetheless alive, as long as his heart kept beating he would live. Sasuke was completely different and oblivious to what had happened, but somewhere deep down he had a vague idea of what had. Naruto smiled as he grasped Sasuke's hand in his, only to have it wrenched out of his grasp, Naruto laughed as he watched Sasuke run off.

'Try and catch me Naru!'  
He called over his shoulder. Naruto smiled and in an instant had appeared behind Sasuke, who pouted somewhat before slamming Naruto into a wall kissing him. Naruto melted into the kiss and thought nothing could be better.

He wasn't going to carry on ever again…


End file.
